


Wherever your mind goes

by megyal



Category: Naruto
Genre: Delusions, M/M, Mental Institutions
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-08-16
Updated: 2013-08-16
Packaged: 2017-12-23 16:44:47
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,152
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/928789
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/megyal/pseuds/megyal
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Everything Kakashi knows is really in his head.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Wherever your mind goes

**Author's Note:**

  * For [tucuxi](https://archiveofourown.org/users/tucuxi/gifts).



Kakashi remained seated at the back of the small cave that he'd set up as a crude base, keeping himself still as the scouts returned in singular silence. He tried hard not to focus on any one of them, but it was hard not to let his gaze settle on Iruka, who had managed to get a long, thin scrape on his left cheek. Iruka seemed to pick up on his muted alarm and disapproval, and shrugged slightly.

"Just a branch, Kakashi-taichou," he explained, crouching down beside Kakashi's spot and activating a healing jutsu with deft movements of his fingers. He pressed his palm to his cheek and Kakashi watched as a faint green glow bloomed under his hand.

"I was planting the last trap and it got me," Iruka continued, and pulled his hand away. The wound was nearly gone, but for a very dark line which indicated its shape and location. Iruka had an impressive store of chakra, so it would probably fade to a faint mark in a few days.

"How many traps did you plant?" Kakashi asked and Iruka gave him a quick glance out of the corner of his eye.

_How many did you tell me to plant?_ That slightly challenging look seemed to ask, but Iruka answered out loud: "Ten, Kakashi-taichou."

Kakashi nodded slowly. "Good work, Iruka."

Iruka mimicked his deliberate nod, and got to his feet, slipping past the other members of their fairly large team. The mission was almost at its conclusion, and Kakashi had no doubt that quite a lot of explosions would be involved. 

He hadn't been aware that being on a mission with his lover would have been so detrimental to his focus. Ibiki had warned him, of course. Kakashi had explained that it hadn't been the first time that he and Iruka had been assigned to the same team, but Ibiki had just shaken his head.

"It's different," was all he had said; damn it if he wasn't right, and Kakashi kind of hated that. He knew Iruka was more than capable of carrying out his duties. He knew that he shouldn't treat Iruka any differently from the other operatives, and he knew that the rules of fraternization had been altered recently. It was hard for him to move from the person who liked to drape himself over Iruka at home, to the one who had to send Iruka into the danger.

He sighed quietly, and got to his feet. Guy, a few feet to his left and poring over maps of the region, raised his head and gave Kakashi a bright grin. Kakashi wrinkled his nose under his mask and then stopped in the middle of the cave, waiting until everyone's attention was focused on him.

"We'll deploy all planned maneuvers in thirty minutes," he told his team. "Be careful. Don't get caught."

"Hai, taichou," they all chorused. Within the half-hour, the cave was almost empty. Iruka was one of the last to leave, and he took one of Kakashi's hands in his, without hesitation. Kakashi just looked at him, taking in the details of his dark hair and solemn gaze.

"You be careful, too," he said, and squeezed Kakashi's fingers slightly before letting go. "See you later," he said with just an edge of mischief to his smile, and then he was gone.

Kakashi clenched his fist tightly, and then followed into the cool night.

-

Jiro stood at one of the doors to the big living-room, letting his gaze trail over the individuals within. There was a smaller dayroom off to one side, and he could see another attendant in that space, walking back and forth. More often than not, his attention snagged on a pair of individuals seated a few feet away from his position, near a bank of narrow windows: a thin, tall man with greying hair, dressed in a blue robe, and a woman with her hair pulled back and pinned into a severe style. She was dressed in a plain pair of trousers and a loose blouse.

They sat facing in armchairs facing each other, the woman speaking now and again. Her dark eyes were very intent, but Jiro knew the moment she would get up, for that intensity faded and her gaze seemed to turn inwards.

She rose to her feet and walked in Jiro's direction, the line of her shoulders rigid. Jiro called her name, but she was so lost in her thoughts that she didn't hear him.

Jiro tried again, pitching his voice low: "Dr. Itoh?"

Dr. Itoh's head jerked up and she stared at Jiro as if she didn't know who he was. Then, her expression cleared and she offered him a small smile, barely a twitch of her lips. Dr. Itoh was a driven woman, hardly given to smiles. It was a testament to how tired and upset she was to release one now.

Jiro inclined his head towards the man she had left behind. Dr. Itoh sighed.

"He's still--" She broke off, and then shook her head very slowly. "He has the most complete case of pseudomemories I've ever seen."

Jiro looked at the man in question. Kakashi sat quietly in his chair, pale hands clasped in his lap. He moved when told, slept when put to bed and ate when food was placed in front of him, but it was obvious that his mind was disconnected in a manner so complete that the detachment was pure, in a way. When he'd arrived at the facility, Kakashi had spoken, but generally no one understood who or what he was talking about. They'd had to keep him separated from the general population at first, because he'd had the gift of sparking violence in the other patients, with ideas of missions, and wars.

Nowadays, Kakashi said very few words. _Jutsu_ was one and _chakra_ , sometimes. Jiro knew those words, but he understood that they meant something different to Kakashi. Kakashi used to call out names as well, but only one name remained in his repertoire these days: _Iruka_.

As Jiro eyed Kakashi's still form, Kakashi turned his head slightly. Jiro could see the ruined skin pulled tight over his left eye. Jiro had once asked him how he'd lost that eye; the story he had received had been incredible, to say the least.

Jiro liked Kakashi, though; when he talked, Kakashi had been engaging and wry. He was exceedingly intelligent and even told weird jokes. For some reason Jiro missed those the most.

"I'm off to the office," Dr. Itoh said and brushed past Jiro in her abrupt manner. Jiro nodded, even though she probably didn't see it. He gazed at Kakashi for a long time and then, reluctantly, went back to his duties of watching all the patients in the living room.

He hoped that wherever Kakashi's mind was, that he was happy and safe...and with his Iruka.

**Author's Note:**

> Ficlet based on [this convo](http://tucuxi.livejournal.com/120479.html?thread=945823#t945823)!


End file.
